Tim D'Annecy

Introduction to "Observations on mental health in the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe" by Henry P. David (1968)

I found an interesting article written by psychologist Henry P. David (1923-2009) and I thought I
would share it. This report was fascinating and I wanted to know more about him after discovering some
of his later work. In addition to this report, I found that his life story and academic work are worth a read.
As a child, he escaped the Nazis and
immigrated to the US. Over his distinguished career, Henry founded the Transnational Family Research
Institute and studied on mental health and population issues in developing countries and in the Eastern
Bloc. This quote sheds light on the Soviet psychological profession in the early 1970s as seen from
Henry’s
outsider perspective. More information about Henry David can be found on this
page[A].

Today, more than 50 years after the October 1917 revolution,
Soviet life reflects a mixture of ageless Russian culture,
evolving Marxist ideology and the dynamics of modern technology.
The most significant aspect of Soviet life is that it is planned,
with central direction residing in the state. There is
considerable pressure toward conformity, toward behaving in a
socially and politically acceptable fashion. There is a relative
de-emphasis of personal needs in favor of the primacy of the
collective to which the individual is expected to yield.

From birth through nursery school and all the school grades and
Communist Party youth organizations, the Soviet child is reared
to function as a member of the collective. Personality
development and behavior change are achieved through group
rewards and punishments. Individual achievements are considered
in terms of their value to the collective. Membership in a
collective provides identification, a sense of personal
well-being, and satisfaction of material and emotional needs. It
serves to socialize the Soviet child and to strengthen early
acceptance of the values of adult society.

The concept of the collective also dominates university life.
Both undergraduate and graduate students are fully aware that
they receive a very expensive state-subsidized education, plus
cost-of-living stipends. There seems to be an understanding that
this education is provided because the larger collective–the
people of the Soviets–need the student’s talents and the
resulting contribution he is expected to make. This is in concert
with the Soviet attitude that every citizen, whether male or
female, should contribute to society which, in turn, will meet
his need for social security. One Soviet colleague put it this
way, “I don’t have to save for a rainy day. I know I will always
have a job or a pension. Medical care is free and our children
will be educated without any cost to us”.